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SNAP Leaflets Nun Convention, Seeking Reform on Abuse Policy

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ST. LOUIS–(KMOX)–The clergy abuse survivor’s group SNAP was picketing outside a nationwide conventions of nuns here, calling for changes in the way U.S. nuns handle allegations of child sexual abuse.

SNAP’s David Clohessy says the Leadership Conference of Women Religious (LCWR) has failed to match the standard set by U.S. Bishops to handle allegations against its members.

“At least the Bishops do have a national policy where they’ve made some promises to try to do better to protect kids and heal victims,” Clohessy said, “Collectively, America’s nuns haven’t even done that.”

A KMOX reporter visited the nun’s convention hotel, seeking comment from their media spokesman. The security team said no spokesperson was available to comment on the SNAP protest.

“Why is there no national nuns abuse policy?” Clohessy asked, “They’ll say that the LCWR can’t order it’s members what to do. Well, it’s a membership organization. Every membership organization sets its own rules and parameters about who gets in, right?”

The LCWR represents some 80 percent of Catholic nuns in the U.S. Clohessy says there are no estimates available about how many nuns are “credibly accused” of wrongdoing.

SNAP announced it’s writing three Bishops asking them to expand the Vatican investigation into the main U.S. nun’s group, to find out how nuns are handling allegations of child molesters in their ranks.